Enfield boy who lost both legs and part of his right hand will be fronting a global campaign to cure meningitis

Harvey Parry, of Winchmore Hill, Enfield, lost both his legs and three and a half fingers on his right hand after he caught a deadly strain of the meningitis virus when he was 15 months old.

Despite this, he is now a promising disabled athlete and will feature in the Protecting Our Tomorrows global campaign, led by the Confederation of Meningitis Organisations.

His mother, Carol Parry, could not be more proud of her son’s achievements.

She said: “He is a beautiful and handsome boy who has fought so hard and he has made a remarkable recovery.

“He wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for the tireless research by the Meningitis Research Foundation and there is still more work to be done. Harvey needs to continue his rehabilitation and we have gone across the world to make sure he gets treatment.”

With his prosthetic legs, Harvey is now an acclaimed sprinter and his success has flourished not just in the UK but in the USA.

The eight-year-old is one of the fastest children in the world and has collected 19 gold medals at international athletics tournaments.

Ms Parry said the campaign is about being positive, but highlighting the disease can be prevented.

She said: “This is a devastating disease and the worst part is that there is a vaccination available, but not a lot of people know it.

"A vaccination will cost several hundred pounds but we are hoping this campaign can force the Government to make this more widely available.

"I would never wish any family to go through this and it can be prevented but it needs to be publicised because this is about saving lives."

Harvey needs new legs regularly as he grows, and people in the borough have helped pay for this.

Ms Parry added: "We have been so lucky that the people of Enfield have donated so much to Harvey and all his achievements were made possible because of those donations.

"Harvey feels that this is a big opportunity to highlight to everyone the effects of this disease and he hopes that this campaign can prevent anyone contracting the disease in the future."

The campaign will look to highlight the impact meningitis can have on survivors and families.

A spokesman for Meningitis Now and Meningitis Research Foundation said: "Too many children face death and disability from meningitis every year. We hope these stunning portraits will raise awareness of the disease, its symptoms and the impact it has on thousands of families every year."

People can continue donating to his fund by clicking here